UNC Lineberger News

Research led by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center members Katherine Hoadley, PhD, research assistant professor in genetics and Chuck Perou, PhD, professor of genetics and pathology, was selected by the American Society of Clinical Oncology for inclusion in Clinical Cancer Advances 2015, the Society’s annual review of progress against cancer and emerging trends in the field. The study, a comprehensive tumor genetic analysis which revealed a new way of classifying cancers, is featured as one of the year’s major achievements in clinical cancer research and care.

After weighing the risk of serious side effects with the benefits of a breast cancer prevention drug, a study led by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher found that the drug’s benefits outweighed risks for most, but not all women.

Eight year old Emily McCann of Apex came to the N.C. Cancer Hospital at the end of December bearing gifts. She brought money to help meet the needs of pediatric cancer patients, but she also brought cheer, comfort and hope.

Ebix, Inc., today announced that the annual Ebix Charity Challenge, will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 7, 2015. All proceeds from the 5th Annual Ebix Charity Challenge will benefit the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, where America No. 1 John Isner’s mother, Karen, was successfully treated during her two battles with colon cancer.

Carolina legend Danny Talbott performed at the highest level on both the football field and baseball diamond during his years as a Tar Heel. Since 2010, he’s been back in Chapel Hill, battling the toughest opponent he’s faced: multiple myeloma. He can’t imagine going anywhere else to do it.

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member Jim Evans, MD, PhD, Bryson Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Medicine and director of clinical cancer genetics, has co-authored a commentary on proposed US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of genetic testing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Deborah Mayer, Ph.D., R.N., AOCN, FAAN, Professor at the School of Nursing, Director of Cancer Survivorship at UNC Lineberger, is a national pioneer on research in cancer survivorship. Her work sheds light on the best ways to monitor and manage care for cancer survivors long after diagnosis and treatment. She is a staunch advocate for serving patients' needs and the importance of good communication.

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center hosted the Kidney Cancer Association Patient and Survivor Conference at the William & Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education on Saturday, December 13, 2014. Attendees from New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina gathered to hear presentations on topics such as managing treatment, new therapies and navigating the health care system.

Chad Pecot, MD, assistant professor in hematology and oncology, has received a Mentored Research Scholar Award in Applied and Clinical Research from the American Cancer Society (ACS). Dr. Pecot is one of only two recipients in the United States to receive the award.

The UNC Cancer Pro Bono Project allows law students, working under the supervision of volunteer attorneys, to draw up advance directives for cancer patients, for free. Originally designed as a joint program with Duke, Carolina’s student-run program has grown so much that it operates independently now, with the help of Legal Aid of North Carolina Inc. and about 35 volunteer attorneys.

AnnMarie Walton, MPH, RN, OCN, CHES, PhD candidate, an oncology nurse at the N.C. Cancer Hospital, who has made extraordinary efforts to improve the health and lives of agricultural workers and health care providers has been recognized as one of the 10 recipients of the new Breakthrough Leaders in Nursing award created by the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a joint initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Several UNC Lineberger members and UNC School of Medicine faculty presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in San Francisco last week. With more than 15,000 members from nearly 100 countries, ASH is the world's largest professional society serving clinicians and scientists around the world who are working to conquer blood diseases. The 56th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition is the premier event in malignant and non-malignant hematology.

Lisa Carey, MD, medical director of the UNC Breast Center, division chief of hematology and oncology at the UNC School of Medicine, and physician-in-chief of the N.C. Cancer Hospital, has been named to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Nominating Committee. An ASCO member since 1997, Carey will serve a three-year term on the committee.

Since 2009, Elizabeth Stewart has honored the memory of her daughter Charli’ Ramsey with an annual hat drive for pediatric oncology patients and bone marrow transplant patients at UNC Lineberger. Charli’ was treated for leukemia at UNC before she passed away in 2001 at the age of nine. Over the years, the effort has expanded to include not just hats but pillowcases, blankets and scarves: all items that provide comfort and a measure of happiness to patients in treatment.

UNC Lineberger members and UNC School of Medicine researchers have found for the first time a biochemical mechanism that could be a cause of “chemo brain” – the neurological side effects such as memory loss, confusion, difficulty thinking, and trouble concentrating that many cancer patients experience while on chemotherapy to treat tumors in other parts of the body.

Over 100 people had the opportunity to learn about cancer, aging and resilience from UNC cancer care experts on Friday, November 14, at Cancer Care and Older Adults: A Public Forum hosted by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

UNC Lineberger researchers and colleagues at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new approach to block the KRAS oncogene, one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancer. The approach, led by Chad Pecot, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at UNC, offers another route to attack KRAS, which has proven to be an elusive and frustrating target for drug developers.

Stergios Moschos, MD, associate professor and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center member, is among 11 physicians from across the country to receive the National Cancer Institute (NCI) 2014 Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award.